Finding a Rare Butterfly - Butterfly & Moth Citizen Science

In September 2020 I read "Finding Forest Ringlets" in Forest and Bird magazine. I'd not heard of Forest Ringlet butterflies before, but was intrigued by the article. I never imagined I'd see such a rare butterfly. The article says "It's estimated that fewer than 100 people have seen and identified the butterfly in the wild." 

At Risk - Forest Ringlet Butterfly

When I'm tramping in the bush, I'm always on the lookout for interesting things, berries on the forest floor, unusual fungi and so on. When I walk along the coast, I keep an eye out for copper butterflies. Now I added looking for butterflies in the forest. I was looking for a glimpse of fluttering orange - but the first butterfly I spotted in the bush was a red admiral. On another tramp I caught a glimpse of orange but the butterfly was gone before I could identify it. 

Cryptic Stick Insects - now you see them, now you don't

Stick insects (rō in Māori) are curious creatures. Kids (and adults) find them fascinating because of their obvious likeness to sticks. It's easy to spot them walking across a window or on the side of the house but they merge so well into their surroundings on a tree that you might be surprised just how many are in your garden.

These large, intriguing vegetarians are everywhere, although they seem to have trees that are their favourites.

Stick insect on its favourite mānuka tree

Sitting in my garden recently, I recalled how many stick insects I'd seen on a particular tree in February last year. I looked at the tree, a mānuka, and idly said to myself "I wonder why there aren't any there this year". Curiosity drew my gaze back to the tree, suddenly I realised I could see a stick insect where before I thought the bark was bare. I looked harder, another stick insect 'appeared'. I got closer and started to count - there were a dozen stick insects in a 25 cm x 30 cm area!

A Coastal Walk - animals that I see in Pukerua Bay

After writing about the plants of my coastal pathway in my last blogpost, Cyclone Gita blew in. Extraordinarily high seas washed away much of the pathway and deposited massive piles of driftwood on what was left. Plants on the sea side of the path have mostly died, but not all.  I hope they are resilient.

Driftwood covers the path

Taking this path, very occasionally right around to Plimmerton, but usually to the Pukerua Bay Scientific Reserve and back, I've had the privilege of seeing many different animals, some unexpected.

Fur seals make occasional appearances along the coast

It's only recently that I've attempted to photograph them. More often than not I only have my phone camera handy. Photos are a good way to convey an animals features or behaviour to others. We get instant recognition, responding with an "Ah yes that's what I saw on my beach" or "how amazing who knew gulls would do that?"

Puriri Moths and Caterpillars - a secret to discover in the trees

Female pūriri moth 

It was a magical moment when I first touched the cover of the puriri caterpillar's hole. A soft membrane, like a skin, covers the hole the caterpillar has made. Inside it's turning into a moth. But to the untrained

Forest and Bird Walks in Wellington - from my journal

It's spring and heading into tramping season. Thanks to the longer days and warmer weather (and the fact that I'm between books) I've been able to go out with Forest and Bird on a lot of day walks. Here's a sample from my nature journal of what I've observed.

Puriri moth

WEDNESDAY 8th - KARAPOTI

Tramping out from seeing  the Giant Rata, a puriri moth was found by a fellow tramper on the pathway. He picked it up to move it to safety.  This is the first time I've seen a live puriri moth so I was pretty excited by this find. What a gorgeous mossy green and what big eyes it has!

Stick Insect Surprise

Stick insects are so beautifully camouflaged in the garden or the bush, so when one appears off its normal tree, it causes a bit of a surprise.

This one hitched a ride on someone's arm!

A Wasp's Nest!

My friends found these wasp nests when they replaced their roof. Years ago the wasps built these nests, and although the wasps died long ago, the nests have endured.

Great White Scare - Butterflies in the Garden

Usually when we hear Great White, we think of the Great White Shark which has a fearsome reputation. Recently a new Great White has appeared on land, and while it might look like a cute butterfly it has a fearsome reputation too!

Gardeners think of the Cabbage Butterfly (or Small White) as a pest, it seems that the Great White is even more destructive and is a danger to native plants as well as to crops.

It is their caterpillar that is destructive, eating up large amounts of leaves and making it hard for plants to grow. Each type of butterfly favours a different plant, and both the white butterflies like plants in the brassica family. This includes cabbages, broccoli and nasturtiums.

Cicadas in the Garden

It is the beginning of March, officially autumn, and the cicadas are calling frantically. In the garden and in the bush, the noise is almost deafening.

I have written about cicadas in In the Garden, here is Ned's drawing of a cicada from page 22.